Road freight from Türkiye to Uzbekistan mostly runs by continuous road via Iran and Turkmenistan, or alternatively via Georgia, Azerbaijan and the Caspian ferry, crossing Turkmenistan or Kazakhstan. Because Uzbekistan has to cross at least two countries to reach the sea, every trip involves more than one transit country; the cargo is usually carried under a TIR carnet.
Why is there more than one transit country on every trip?
Uzbekistan is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world, i.e. surrounded by countries that themselves have no coastline. Its neighbours are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. A truck leaving Türkiye passes through at least two countries before reaching the Uzbek border. The trip plan is therefore shaped more by the rules of the transit countries than by those of the destination country.
Route options
| Route | Main crossings | Strength | Caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran–Turkmenistan | Gürbulak – Tabriz – Tehran – Mashhad – Sarakhs – Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan | Continuous road, no sea transhipment | Queue system in Iran and charges levied on foreign-plated trucks; Turkmen transit visa and rules |
| Caspian – Turkmenbashi | Georgia – Azerbaijan – Alat – ferry – Turkmenbashi – Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan | Independent of Iran | Ferry waiting times and weather conditions; Turkmen transit is still required |
| Caspian – Kazakhstan | Georgia – Azerbaijan – Alat – ferry – Aktau/Kuryk – Beyneu – Uzbekistan | Independent of Iran and Turkmenistan | Eurasian Economic Union transit rules; long overland distance |
Details of the Iranian leg are explained in the entry on transit road freight via Iran, the Turkmen crossing in the entry on road freight from Türkiye to Turkmenistan and the ferry leg in the entry on the Caspian Sea ferry crossing.
What is required in the transit countries?
- Iran: A transit permit is required. Since 6 August 2026, Iran has applied an origin-based "nobat" queue reservation at the border. Foreign-plated trucks are charged fees under the headings of fuel price difference and road use; the amounts change periodically.
- Turkmenistan: A transit visa for the driver, a transit permit for the vehicle and transit fees apply. The vehicle follows the designated route.
- Kazakhstan: Transit passes through the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union; electronic preliminary information and a TIR carnet or a Union transit declaration are required.
- Georgia and Azerbaijan: On the Caspian options, transit permits and the ferry booking are planned.
According to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (Ulaştırma ve Altyapı Bakanlığı), the multilateral ECMT permit cannot be used if the loading or unloading country is not on the system's list; in practice, bilateral and transit permits are used on this route.
What to watch out for at Uzbek customs
Uzbekistan is not a member of the Eurasian Economic Union; it has observer status in the Union. It applies its own customs tariff and conformity rules. The country is a party to the TIR Convention. Sending goods and vehicle data electronically before reaching the border reduces the risk of waiting; with TIR-EPD, the vehicle can inform all customs offices on the route at once. Conformity documents depending on the product group and consistency between invoice, packing list and CMR are the most frequent questions at destination customs.
What determines the transit time?
No fixed delivery time can be given on this route. The decisive factors are: queues and congestion at the Iranian border, Turkmen transit formalities, the departure time of the Caspian ferry and weather conditions, road conditions in Eastern Anatolia and northern Iran in winter, permit quotas and document mismatches. A general comparison of the routes can be found in the entry on road freight from Türkiye to Central Asia.
Common mistakes
- Missing the permit or driver visa for one of the transit countries.
- Not calculating the number of TIR carnet vouchers based on the number of transit customs offices.
- Not checking the export control and sanctions rules of the transit countries for dual-use goods.
- Not factoring mountain passes and ferry postponements into the plan in the winter months.
The general planning of the road trip is described on the international road transport page and the transit customs side on the transit customs clearance page.